Compass Points - Amphibs?
How many amphibious ships for the Marines?
Compass Points - Amphibs?
How many amphibious ships for the Marines?
May 20, 2026
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For decades, the US Navy and Marine Corps have provided the Nation with reliable, global crisis response. Forward deployed US Marines patrolling the oceans of the world onboard Navy amphibious warships are able to quickly arrive to any crisis to deter, assist, rescue, strike, or fight.
How many of these amphibious warships are needed to provide the US with continuous global crisis response?
The answer to ‘how many amphibs’ is not simple. There are at least 5 crucial numbers.
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1. How many amphibious ships are on-hand today? 31 amphibs.
2. What is the readiness rate for amphibious ships? It maybe be as low as 41%. (The readiness rate is the percentage of amphibs able to go to sea immediately.)
3. What is the agreement between the Navy and Marine Corps for amphibs? Apparently, 40 amphibs.
4. How many amphibs would be required to meet the demands of the regional Combatant Commanders? Somewhere between 45 - 60 amphibs.
5. What is the number of amphibs in the Navy 30 year ship building plan? Never more than 33 amphibs on-hand over the next three decades.
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Both the current Marine Corps Commandant and the acting Secretary of the Navy seem to be in agreement that 31 amphibs, the current number of amphibious ships and the Congressional mandated minimum number, is not adequate. The number of amphibs needs to be raised. In addition, the current 41% readiness rate needs to be raised to something much closer to 80%.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao is advocating for 40 amphibs.
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Cao said that he sent the recommendation to the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and that the proposal also includes increasing the number of amphibious ships to 40 — up from the congressionally mandated 31 ships.
-- Breaking Defense
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The current Marine Corps Commandant has said that the regional Combatant Commanders are demanding 5 or 6 Navy and Marine Corps forward deployed ARG-MEUs continuously on the world’s oceans. That would require more than 50 amphibs at an 80% readiness rate.
Another recent Commandant also saw the need for 50 amphibs.
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38 L-Class Amphibious warships are required to meet a 2.0 MEB Joint Forcible Entry requirement, and upwards of 50 would be needed to meet CCDR demand.
-- General Neller, Posture Statement, 7 March 2018 (p. 5)
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It is good that both the Secretary of the Navy and the Commandant of the Marine Corps seem to be in agreement for at least 40 amphibs.
This seems like good progress, moving above the Congressionally mandated 31 ship minimum.
Unfortunately, after 7 years of effort, the Navy and Marine Corps are back to nearly the same agreement they had 7 years ago. In the spring of 2019 the Navy and Marine Corps were in long standing agreement the Marine Corps needed at least 38 amphibious ships at an 80% readiness rate. This was the ‘2 MEB lift’ agreement. Just a few months later, however, that long standing agreement for at least 38 amphibs was abruptly torn up by the new Commandant.
In his Planning Guidance in the summer of 2019, the new CMC General Berger unilaterally ended the 38 amphib agreement. The result was Navy support for amphibs crashed from 38 to 24 amphibs and was headed lower. The SECNAV at the time halted all amphibious ship building for an entire year. Congress grew alarmed by the mess and stepped in to set the floor for amphibs at 31. After 7 years of recovery, the Navy and Marine Corps are finally back to an agreement for roughly 40 ships, virtually the same ‘2 MEB lift’ agreement that Berger unilaterally destroyed 7 years ago.
Worse, for all the talk about 40 amphibious ships today, the Navy’s ship building plan for the next 30 years shows amphibs ships remaining basically static at little more than 31 ships. Where is the increase?
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AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS
The FY27-FY31 plan invests $8.3B in FY27 to procure two amphibious ships and six Medium Landing Ships (LSMs). Through the FYDP, the plan invests $29.3B to procure five LPDs, two LHAs, and 23 LSMs. This investment shows a commitment to reach long-term Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) presence requirements. This is supported by the congressionally mandated minimum of 31 Amphibious Warfare Ships (10 LHAs/21 LPDs).
-- US Navy Ship Building Plan, May 2026
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The regional Combatant Commanders look out at a dangerous world and, by several reports, see the need for more Marines on more Navy ships on more oceans of the world.
As the US celebrates its 250th anniversary this summer, it is appropriate to set a new goal for the Navy’s golden fleet: 50 amphibious ships. This would make the amphib numbers look every different.
— Amphib ships on-hand. 50 amphibs.
— Amphib ship readiness rate. 80%.
— Navy and Marine amphib ship agreement. 50 amphibs.
— Combatant Cmdrs’ requirement. 50 amphibs for 4 ARG-MEUs 24/7/365.
— Navy 30 year Ship Building plan. Maintain 50 amphibs.
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Compass Points salutes all those working today to get more Navy and Marine Corps ARG-MEUs serving the Nation around the world.
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Breaking Defense - 05/19/2026
Navy, Marine Corps back longer amphib readiness cycles, request more ships
The Navy currently utilizes a 36-month Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP), but leaders want to stretch it to 56 months.
By Diana Stancy
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US Navy
Ship Building Plan - May 2026
https://media.defense.gov/2026/May/11/2003928909/-1/-1/1/NAVY%20SHIPBUILDING%20PLAN%20MAY%202026.PDF
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Military Times - 04/23/2026
US Marine Corps, Navy join forces to combat insufficient amphibious fleet size
By Cristina Stassis
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The Navy is already counting the Landing Ship Medium (LSM) as an amphibious ship - - not a support ship or auxiliary. According to the recent Navy Shipbuilding Plan, the LSMs are Battle Force Ships. You can check it out on pages 17, 18, 29, and 30 of the Plan. See https://media.defense.gov/2026/May/11/2003928909/-1/-1/1/NAVY%20SHIPBUILDING%20PLAN%20MAY%202026.PDF
While it'd be wonderful to have all the amphibious shipping needed to move our MAGTFs, will there be enough sailors to 'man' those ships? Seems we've, more-often-than-not, found the Navy unable to fully/properly staff the shipping we DO have.